1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to non-fixed hospital and patient care centers and more particularly relates to a mobile operating room that is fully equipped for invasive surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present, surgery is performed in permanent and fixed locations such as hospitals, surgical centers, physicians offices or so-called "surgicenters". Such hospitals and surgical centers are subject to state building codes and must meet stated requirements for their certification as hospitals qualified for invasive surgery. The primary requirements for qualification include an operating room, central nursing station, pre and post-operational (preop and postop) areas, clean-up and closet area, lavatory, clean and soiled linen areas, surgical scrub sinks, a clock and a sterilizing area for surgical instruments. Until the advent of this invention these requirements were not met in a mobile invasive surgery room.
Currently, there are mobile units that provide diagnostic medical care. These are ambulance or van type units that provide non-invasive services such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), cardiac catherization (cath labs), or the like. These units are simply medical facilities on wheels. There are also mobile medical units that provide therapeutic services such as shock wave lithotripsy (stone fragmentation) for both kidney and bladder stones. None of these units can provide or meet the invasive surgery requirements.
The concept of mobilized medial care involving invasive surgery is not a new one. Mobilized medical care was provided by the military during the last three wars in which this country have been involved. However, the concept of mobilization in the armed services relates only to the ability of personnel to transport containerized surgery equipment to a remote location and through that designated and containerized approach quickly establish hospitals in needed combat areas. For example, transportation of the modular components of the hospital, once containerized, are accomplished by using helicopters and transport planes. These modular units are simply sealed in canister-like containers that are pre-wired and require actual set-up with other shipped surgical equipment from other containers that are also transported to the site by plane. In most of these units the preop and postop facilities are provided by tents that are set up in the area adjoining the surgery canisters once they have been set up and supplied with needed surgical equipment.
The military hospital modular units figure prominently in this country's National Disaster Preparedness System. The supportive units, however, may take days to establish if supplementation of the private hospital facilities are requested. In summary, the operating room module in the military service is simply a non-moving, isolated unit that is pre-wired for electricity and telephone but has no other autonomous or self-contained features as those that are provided by the mobile operating room of this invention.
The last few decades have brought forth new and exciting developments in medical technology. The mobile operating room of this invention offers an extension of a hospital's surgical capability while providing, for the patient, reduced costs as well as convenience of care.